What is an art period?

An art period is an era — a broad stretch of time whose art shares a worldview, a set of patrons and a material culture. The Renaissance, the Baroque era, the Edo period: periods are measured in centuries and civilizations, where movements are measured in decades and manifestos.

Think of periods as the geology of art history: deep layers laid down by religion, trade, technology and empire, with movements as the fossils inside them.